Akatsuki's Cherry Blossom
by Livia-Sobriquet
Summary: Okay, not the best title, I know...Sakura gets caught and kidnapped by the Akatsuki. How will she deal with this new life? Will she join and betray Konoha? And how will Akatsuki react to her? ItaSaku, slight DeiSaku. Also a little Pein/Konan
1. Chapter 1: Red Clouds

Hi!! 'Kay, this is the first fanfiction I've written in a few years, so I'm a bit out of practise...Well...read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any characters in the anime/manga. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto-san. Okay, now you can read:)

Oh, by the way...

Ages: Sakura - 18; Itachi - 23, Kisame - 36, Tobi - not sure, probably around 18 let's say; Deidara - 21.

" " - talking

_Blah _- thinking

**_Blah_** - Inner Sakura

* * *

Eighteen-year-old Sakura Haruno finally completed the mission Tsunade had sent her on. The Wood Village [A/N: don't ask! I couldn't think of any other name! was now free of the threat of a minor demon that had been plaguing the villagers for several months. It was an easy mission, though she had used up a lot of her chakra on it. 

She had been on her way home to Konoha and had detoured through another village on the way to re-stock on supplies, when she caught sight of a figure in a black cloak with red clouds. The person, though covered from nearly head to toe, appeared to Sakura to be male.

_Damn_, she thought. _Akatsuki._

Sakura left the village as fast as she could without alerting attention. She had no idea what an Akatsuki member would be doing in the village, but she did not want to find out.

Unfortunately, the Akatsuki member had other plans.

As she exited the city, she saw the Akatsuki man tailing her.

_Why do they _want _me?_ She wondered. _I hope they're not planning to use me as bait for Naruto…_

She pulled out a few shuriken and threw them at her pursuer. He dodged all but one, which embedded in his upper arm.

He stopped, as did she.

_**Cha! We hit a muscle!**_ Cheered Inner Sakura.

But Sakura was not as optimistic as her Inner. An angry, injured Akatsuki member was not very good…especially since she had killed one of their members.

_Maybe they want to kill me for killing Sasori…?_ She wondered.

The Akatsuki lifted his hat and let it fall to the ground.

_Shit!_ She thought._ Of all the Akatsuki guys to meet it _has_ to be_ Deidara_! He's _so_ going to kill me — he was Sasori's partner!_

"Nice throw, yeah," Deidara commented, and pulled out the shuriken from his upper arm. Sakura smugly noted that he winced, though she felt relieved that he, at least, did not appear angry.

"What do you want, _Deidara_?" she snapped.

"You're cranky today, kunoichi, yeah."

"Shut up."

She ran towards him, making a hand sign. As she got closer, she brought her fist out as if to punch.

Deidara readied himself to block her punch.

Sakura smiled, appearing behind him; she had used a clone and had switched places with her clone, appearing behind him. She gathered her chakra and punched his back.

The blond artist of Akatsuki went flying into a tree.

_**Cha! His dick just got slammed into a tree!**_ Laughed Inner Sakura.

_That's gotta hurt,_ thought Sakura.

Deidara slid down the tree and lay on the ground.

"Hey, Deidara," Sakura called. "It's like you always say: Art is a _bang_!" [A/N: I know, I've got a sick mind…heh heh ;)

He blushed, as did Sakura (her Inner had made her say that); she was referring to the recent contact between the tree and a _certain_ spot below his waist.

"Not funny, yeah," he muttered, standing up.

Suddenly there was a loud explosion behind her. She felt herself go flying as she felt something cut her arms and legs…she slammed into something hard and everything went black.

* * *

The kunochi passed out and fell to the ground. 

_Okay…maybe the bomb was a bit too much — but Leader had ordered for her capture…_

Deidara scooped her up in his arms, as he leapt onto his giant clay bird. He had to admit, she was rather pretty…_Sakura_ was her name, if he remembered correctly — though it _had_ been three years since she had killed Sasori…

He entered the base. Only a few Akatsuki members were there. Deidara saw Tobi (unfortunately) and Kisame. That meant Itachi had to be there too. How he _hated_ that Uchiha bastard…

"Deidara-sempai!" cried Tobi at the sight of the blond.

Deidara ignored his crazy partner [A/N: Sorry Tobi fans! I mean… _gomen_, if my Japanese is correct… and went to Pein's office/lair.

"Leader, I brought the girl, yeah."

Pein surveyed him. "Very good, Deidara. Do with her what you wish for now. Let her adjust to her surroundings for the next few days. Then…" He grinned evilly. "We will use her services."

Deidara nodded and began to exit the room.

"Oh, and Deidara?"

The bomber froze. "Yeah?"

"If she does not consent to joining Akatsuki…send her to Itachi."

He nodded again and took her to his room and set her down on his bed. Deidara sat on a chair, watching her while absent-mindedly making things out of clay.

Sakura turned over.

Deidara looked down at what he made. _A-a cherry blossom_, he realized, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. He detonated it.

She opened her jade eyes and sat up. Her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of him.

"Where am I?" she demanded.

"The Akatsuki base, yeah."

She gripped the bed sheets and her eyes narrowed.

"Why'd you bring me here?"

"Leader-sama…wants you to join Akatsuki. We need your _services_, yeah."

Sakura flushed angrily. "Tell your _leader_that I'm _not_ becoming Akatsuki's _slut_!"

"We don't want you for _that_." Deidara was surprised she would think so low of them…even if they were terrorists. Most of Akatsuki had not been involved with women in years — Deidara was still a virgin! "Mostly you'd be our healer, yeah."

"_Never_."

Deidara strode over to her and picked her up again. He exited his room and knocked on a door a few rooms down from his.

She struggled to escape from his grasp. "Where are you taking me?"

"You're going to see an old friend, yeah."

The door opened.

* * *

Ooh, the suspense, right? Well, please review and tell me what you think! Thank you! _Arigato!_


	2. Chapter 2: Power of the Inner

Hey everyone! I'm back! (Sorry it took so long; I was sooo busy with work...anyhoo, back now) Thanx soooooooo much to everyone who reviewed - I really appreciate it! Domo arigato! (I think that means "thank you very much" in Japanese - like "Domo arigato Mr. Roboto"...ya know, the song by Styx...check out that song if you have no idea what I'm talking about...) Now, onto the story

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any characters in the anime/manga. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto-san. Nor do I own "Respect" by Aretha Franklin or "Mr. Roboto" by Styx.

Refresher...

Ages: Sakura - 18; Itachi - 23, Kisame - 36, Tobi - not sure, probably around 18 let's say; Deidara - 21.

" " - talking

_Blah _- thinking

_**Blah**_ - Inner Sakura

* * *

A pair of Sharingan eyes locked onto her jade green eyes.

_Sasuke_, Sakura immediately thought. But Sasuke had been with Orochimaru for six years now. A/N: You're a pervert if you're thinking Orochimaru's been child-molesting him all that time!. And Sasuke did not have lines under his eyes…and the shape of his eyes was slightly different…

Her blood ran cold. _Itachi._

"Deidara," said Itachi.

"Leader told me to bring her to you if she refused to join, yeah," Deidara told him.

Sakura froze. She knew what Itachi could do with those Sharingan…She began to shake uncontrollably, but she would not join them! They were after Naruto!

Deidara set her down, but she could not support herself, and began to fall forwards…

…And was caught by Itachi,

Sakura found herself staring into the elder Uchiha brother's face. She had never been this close to him before…her heart began to pound.

Itachi pulled her back into his room and closed the door. She suddenly wished she was back with Deidara. At least he looked semi-friendly…

What am I saying? She thought. He killed Gaara!

Sakura looked around the room. It was nothing special; there was a bed, a desk, a chair, a closet, and a bathroom.

He released her and she sunk to the floor. Itachi opened the front of his cloak a little so the lower half of his face and a bit of the shirt he was wearing underneath were visible.

"Deidara tells me you refuse to join Akatsuki."

Sakura tried to move away but grabbed her shoulders.

"Is this true?" he inquired smoothly.

She swallowed nervously.

**_Are you letting him get to you?_** Yelled her Inner.

_He can _kill_ me,_ she thought.

**_Would Naruto-kun let a guy like Itachi get to him? No! He'd fight back, dammit!_**

Yeah…yeah, I can't let him scare me…

Go get him, girl!

"_Yeah_, it's true…_Itachi Uchiha_," Sakura spat.

He betrayed no emotion. "Why do you refuse?"

"I won't join a bunch of murderous criminals and I won't betray my village!" Her eyes flickered to Itachi's forehead, where a line had been cut through the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village on his forehead protector.

"And if you do not join…I can do a great deal of things to you…Sakura Haruno."

She gasped. "How do you know my name?"

"We have been looking for you for a long time…" Itachi closed his eyes and opened them a moment later, now with the Mangekyou Sharingan activated .

Now he's gonna torture me like he did Kakashi-sensei!

She shut her eyes tightly.

"Wise move," he commented. "Although…"

Sakura felt her shirt unzip. Someone began to slide it from her shoulders…

Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed her shirt. She zipped it, blushing madly. She saw Itachi glancing at her — and was that _lust_ in his eyes?

She was too surprised to do anything to defend herself, and looked at him. The red and black Sharingan was the last thing she saw before —

_"I have brought you to the world of the Tsukiyomi. Since you would not consent by request, I have no choice but to torture you…Sakura._

_"You are about to experience seventy-two hours of pain."_

_Sakura was tied to a wooden pole and Itachi was standing in front of her, carrying a katana._

_"Sakura!" came a voice from behind Itachi._

No…I know that voice,_ she thought._

"_Sasuke!" she cried._

_Sasuke Uchiha ran towards her. "Sakura…"_

_Itachi raised his sword and stabbed Sasuke's stomach. The younger Uchiha fell to the ground._

"_Sasuke!" Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight of him on the ground. Blood spewed from the gash in his stomach._

_Itachi raised the sword and sliced his brother's body in two._

_Sakura creamed._

"_If you still refuse to join Akatsuki, we will continue," Itachi told her._

"_I- I…" she screwed up her face. "I — can't!"_

"_Very well…"_

_Kakashi-sensei was slaughtered before her next. Then Hinata, followed by her cousin Neji. Rock Lee and Tenten were next. The Shikamaru, Kiba, Ino, Choji, Shino…then Temari, Kankuro, and their brother Gaara…and then a lone ninja arrive._

"_Naruto-kun!" sobbed Sakura._

_Itachi held the blade to the blond's neck._

"_Will you join Akatsuki?" he repeated._

_Sakura did not answer. If she did join, she would never see her friends again…and she would betray her village…But she could not bear to see Naruto killed…_

_Her Inner suddenly took over. "__**Hey weasel-face**__!"_

Inner, what're you _doing_? _Thought Sakura._

_**Helping you out,**__ Inner replied._

_Itachi's eyes narrowed._

"_**Yeah, you heard me, **_**weasel**_**! Now leave them **_**ALONE**_**, you got that? She'll join, but you gotta promise to back the hell off OR ELSE!"**_

Inner…don't piss him off —

— _Relax. I got it covered._

"_**And if you even **_**try **_**to **_**weasel**_** your way into her pants or **_**weasel**_** your way into her mind again, you're gonna have to deal with **_**ME**_**!"**_

_Itachi frowned. "You are not Sakura Haruno."_

"_**Damn right! I'm her Inner! Now, if you'll excuse me…" **__Inner broke free of the rope that bound Sakura. She flipped over the Uchiha and slammed him to the ground…_

Sakura opened her eyes. She was still sitting on the floor of Itachi's room.

_Speaking of the Uchiha…_

Itachi had deactivated the Mangekyou Sharingan, but the regular Sharingan was still in place. He was staring at her differently than he had before, almost with _respect_.

_**Oh yeah!**_ Cried Inner Sakura. _**R-E-S-P-E-C-T, I know what it means to me!**_

Itachi stood up. "Come. We are going to Leader."

Sakura looked up, confused.

"You — whoever that was in your mind — consented to join Akatsuki."

Sakura sighed and stood up. Slowly, she followed her former teammate's older brother, accepting her fate.

_Inner, I hope you know what you were doing…

* * *

_

The girl was quiet, Itachi noted, as he led her to Pein. He had to admit, she _was_ rather pretty, but she was too weak for him to really care about her.

_However_…

_Whatever _that thing was inside her mind was _certainly_ not weak…whatever it was.

Maybe she had a split personality like Zetsu…?

Itachi turned slightly to look at the kunoichi. She was looking at Deidara. The bomber waved at her; she stuck her tongue out at him.

They entered Pein's "office".

"Leader," Itachi said.

Pein looked at the girl. "Welcome back, Sakura. Have you decided to join?"

Sakura half-glanced in Itachi's direction but then turned her gaze to the orange-haired man before her. She took a deep breath.

"Yes."

* * *

Well..what do you think? 'Nuther cliffie!! Gotta go!


	3. Chapter 3: Getting Acquainted

Hi!! Sorry it's taken soooooooooooooo long to post! I've been soooooooooo busy...anyhoo, I now present the next installment: an extra-long chappie! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any characters in the anime/manga. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto-san.

" " - talking

_Blah _- thinking

_**Blah**_ - Inner Sakura

A/N: Warning: This chapter contains foul language (due to Hidan for the most part — surprise, surprise — Note: I don't normally swear like this in fics; Hidan is a special case). Viewer discretion is advised.

* * *

Pein quickly informed Sakura of her duties as an Akatsuki member — in her case, she was mostly going to be their healer, though he would, on occasion, send her on missions, if he saw fit.

He also gave her an Akatsuki cloak and hat (the latter being of use only when she went out).

"You may leave," Pein concluded when he had told her everything necessary. "Itachi, show her to a room."

Itachi nodded and left, followed by Sakura.

They walked in silence down the hall. Thankfully, they met no other members on the way.

Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Itachi spoke.

"This is your room," he told her emotionlessly, nodding towards the door in front of them.

"Deidara's is to the right. Kisame's is to the left. Mine is across from yours."

He then turned on his heel and walked away.

_Isn't he talkative,_ Sakura thought dryly. _Just like his bastard brother._

She entered her room and switched on the lights. There were no windows, and although the lights made the room very bright, it still appeared depressing.

_There's no…_life_ in this room,_ she thought.

The room was simple and looked similar to Itachi's room: there was a bed, a desk, a chair, a closet, and a bathroom. There was nothing special about it.

Sakura sat down on her bed and sighed. _How am I going to survive here?_

Just then, something burst into her room yelling shrilly, "Greetings! Tobi is very glad to meet you!"

Sakura blinked. Before her stood a — _boy?_ _Man?_ — with an orange mask that looked like a fingerprint covering his face. There was a single hole in it for his right eye. His dark spiky hair was visible above the mask, and he wore the Akatsuki robes.

He grabbed her hand with both of his and enthusiastically shook it.

She raised her eyebrows. "Okay…who _are_ you?"

"Tobi!"

"Right…" The name sounded familiar…

"Tobi wonders what is _your_ name, pretty lady?"

Sakura had to laugh at that one. Admittedly, she was flattered, though she remained wary nonetheless. Tobi seemed innocent enough…but one could never really tell with the Akatsuki…

"I'm Sakura," she told him slowly.

She could have sworn Tobi squealed like a little girl A/N: No, Tobi is **not **gay, okay? He's just…hyper — to put it mildly. "Tobi thinks that is a pretty name —"

The loud banging of a door next door and a yell of his name cut off Tobi. A second later, Deidara burst into Sakura's room.

"Tobi! Shut the hell up, yeah!"

Tobi bowed his head. "Tobi is sorry, Deidara-sempai," he murmured in a low, sad voice.

"Well, just be _quiet_, yeah. You're so _annoying_…un."

An image of Sasuke popped up in Sakura's mind. She recalled the younger Uchiha brother telling her that _she _was annoying many years ago…

She clenched her fists. "Deidara, leave him alone."

The blond turned to her. "The little shit's a pain in the ass. You'll find that out sooner or later, yeah," he added.

"Well…" Sakura stopped herself from saying _"You're being so mean to him."_

_**Duh,**_ said her Inner. _**He's a terrorist!**_

Sakura looked over at Tobi. The boy had hung his head and was looking at the ground. Though she could not see his face, she could tell he was very sad.

Her common sense shouted out to her in protest, but her heart told her to comfort him. Tentatively, she put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Tobi," she whispered to him. "I don't think you're a pain." She then glared at Deidara.

Tobi looked up at Sakura. "Does Sakura-san like Tobi?"

She scratched her head. "Uh…sure…"

Tobi squealed again and hugged her tightly. "Tobi loves Sakura-san!"

Just then Kisame walked in. Spotting Tobi and Sakura, his eyes glinted. "Is this where the line starts?" he asked.

Sakura pushed Tobi aside, not unkindly, and marched over to the shark-man.

"I'm not your fucking _slut_!" she yelled.

Hidan, who had been walking by, poked his head into Sakura's room. "Did someone just fucking swear?"

"I did," she told him.

Hidan smirked. "I like bad-mouthed bitches."

* * *

"URG!" she cried and threw her hands up in frustration. She stormed out of her room.

"I _hate_ men," Sakura muttered as she roamed the corridors of the Akatsuki hideout.

A door opened next to her. "I agree said a feminine voice.

Sakura blinked and stared at the tall blue-haired woman the emerged. She wore the Akatsiki robe and had a labret piercing. She also had an origami flower in her hair.

"You must be Sakura."

"H-how did you —"

"— Pein told me he was going to send for you," the woman explained. She appeared to be bored, but seemed nice enough — for an Akatsuki member. "I'm Konan, by the way. I'm Pein's…partner and wife."

**_Whaaaaat?!_** Cried Inner Sakura.

"B-but…" Sakura stuttered.

Konan smiled faintly. "I know he seems like a cruel bastard…and sometimes he seems like an _arrogant_ bastard…but he can actually be a really sweet guy."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. The guy who ordered to _kidnap_ her (and the _leader_ of a _terrorist_ organization) was a sweet guy?!

"You'll get used to him," Konan assured her. "Anyways…you look like you could use some girl time."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks so much, Konan. How can you _take_ so much _testosterone_?"

"I ask myself that question every day."

They laughed and went into the room Konan had just come out of.

It was a combination, Sakura thought, of a rec room and a ninja library. Scrolls and books filled the shelves, but there were also DVDs and a TV. Soft, squishy couches also filled the small room.

"Make yourself at home," Konan told her and sat on one of the couches.

Sakura followed suit.

"But seriously, Sakura, the Akatsuki guys aren't _that_ bad."

The pink-haired kunoichi folded her arms across her chest. "That's because your _husband_ is the _leader_ of Akatsuki. They've _all_ gotta respect you, or Pein'll kill them."

"True…but you shouldn't let them annoy you. They're only teasing, you know."

"Yeah…but some of them are real _perverts_!" Sakura began to recount what had just happened in her bedroom.

"I think the guys are just excited that there's a new _girl_ here who's single — you _are_ single, right?"

Sakura nodded. The last boyfriend she'd had had been — _years_ ago. After they had broken up, she hadn't had the patience to find another.

"Well…think of it this way," the blue-haired woman told her. "If you go out with one of them, the other ones will leave you alone."

"Does Tobi count?" wondered Sakura, as the hyper Akatsuki member seemed the only semi-decent male.

Konan smiled. "No."

The two talked for over an hour. Konan told Sakura about humorous things that various Akatsuki member had done in the past; in return, Sakura told Konan about amusing things that had occurred during her time at the Academy and her ninja training.

"So, tell me, Sakura: who do you think is the hottest Akatsuki member?"

"Hey! That's not fair!" she protested. "You're gonna try to set me up!"

Just then, the door opened and Pein entered.

"We're eating now."

_Phew,_ Sakura thought, as she and Konan stood up and followed the orange-haired man out the door. _I owe him one._

As she sat down at the table (Konan on one side of her, Tobi on the other — to every male's displeasure), she noticed the delicious scents of dinner.

"Since when can anyone in Akatsuki cook?" Sakura wondered, as they began to eat.

"We can't," Konan answered her. "We've…um…_hired_ chefs."

"Meaning you've kidnapped them."

"Pretty much, yeah," Deidara answered her.

Sakura glared at him.

* * *

Later, about halfway though the meal, Konan asked loudly, "Sakura, which guy in Akatsuki do you want to see naked the most?"

Sakura choked on her food and began coughing.

Several minutes later, red-faced from her coughing episode and from the embarrassing nature of the question, she yelled, "What the fucking _hell_ was _that_?"

"Just answer the fucking question," snapped Hidan.

Sakura looked up and noticed — with a considerable amount of irritation on her part — that everyone at the table (even Itachi and Zetsu, neither of whom Sakura knew would _care_ about such a thing) was staring at her.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked slowly. "Is it that you guys can't get a date, so you're hoping _I'll_ hook up with one of you?! Well, you're _wrong_!"

"Geez, kunoichi," said Kisame. "We're only curious; no need to get all crazy about it…"

"I am _so_ NOT getting crazy about it!" she yelled, rising from her seat and slamming her hands down on the table. "_You_ guys are all a bunch of sexist perverted pigs!"

With that, she turned around and stormed out of the "dining room" and back to her room.

As she left, she could have sworn she heard Tobi ask, "Is Sakura-san angry?" and was answered ever so graciously by Hidan, "_Yes,_ you fucking moron!"

* * *

Sakura grabbed her few belongings before sneaking her way through the base, trying to locate the exit. Though the Akatsuki were not as bad as she had expected — in the sense that they did not really act like cold-hearted murderous bastards, with the exception of Itachi — she had to escape. And now was her chance.

Shewas about to put her foot on the bottom step when a quiet voice from behind her asked, "Going somewhere?"

_Shit!_

Sakura slowly turend around and met the cold Sharingan eyes of Itachi Uchiha.

"I would have thought that you had learned your lesson earlier about following rules," he told her.

Reminded of her previous encounter with the Mangekyou Sharingan, she quickly averted her eyes.

"In any case…I am curious. Which Akatsuki man _would_ you like to see naked the most?"

**_Perv_**, remarked Inner Sakura.

Her eyes slowly moved back to his. "If I said you…will you not kill/hurt me?" she asked.

Itachi's mouth twitched, and it appeared as though he was smiling — or smirking — very faintly.

_Why does he have to look like Sasuke when he does that?_ Sakura groaned in her thoughts.

"How about…you forget about the question and do me a favor. In return, I will not harm you."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Itachi Uchiha promising not to hurt her? Either she did not know the real Itachi very well or he was just being weird.

"What's the favor?" she inquired suspiciously.

"Heal my eyes."

* * *

Ooh, 'nuther cliffie! Well...please review!

-anime-randomizrXIV :)


	4. Chapter 4: Itachi

Hey, all! Sorry for the wait (again) - I'm really bad with this, aren't I? Well, I promise for my next fic, I'll write it all before posting...

Anyhoozle (ain't that word just awesome?)...

Thank you to everyone for reviewing; I really appreciate it! Oh right - before I start, here's the disclaimer:

**Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) do not own Naruto or any characters in the show (including Akatsuki...sniff); they belong to Masashi Kishimoto-san. **

Now...to the fic:

* * *

Recap:

_"How about…you forget about the question and do me a favor. In return, I will not harm you."_

_Sakura raised an eyebrow. Itachi Uchiha promising not to hurt her? Either she did not know the real Itachi very well or he was just being weird._

_"What's the favor?" she inquired suspiciously._

"_Heal my eyes."

* * *

_

He said it rather abruptly; Itachi knew his request came off a little _too_ blunt, asking her straight out — "Heal my eyes" — like it was an order, rather than a request.

The kunoichi, Sakura, clearly felt the same: her eyes widened and she looked surprised that he would ever say such a thing. She was also visibly nervous; Itachi knew his presence made her feel that way. She kept running her fingers agitatedly through her nearly elbow-length pink hair A/N: Let's say Sakura decided to grow her hair again during/after Shippuden. A bead of sweat appeared on her temple.

Itachi sighed, nearly imperceptibly. _"People are too easy to read,"_ he thought. They were much like a book: everything was set out plainly for anyone to see.

He suspected she wanted to refuse his request, and she had very good reasons to: not only was he a dangerous S-classed criminal/terrorist, but he had also — for lack of better words — screwed up his younger brother (and Itachi knew that Sasuke and Sakura had been close…sometimes he wondered whether they were more than just friends and teammates…not like it mattered to him).

Still…it would be a shame to have to harm her. She _was_ rather pretty…

"Itachi?"

His eyes moved to look at her.

"Where can I have a look at your eyes?" she asked him.

That was interesting, though not entirely unexpected, that she had obliged. He thought for a moment, and then decided his room was the best location, as everyone left him alone most of the time. Sakura's room, he knew, would be intruded frequently.

Itachi gestured to her to follow, and led her to his room.

* * *

When Sakura realized where the elder Uchiha was leading her, she was disgusted and slightly afraid of what he would do to her in his bedroom. But, thinking it through, she figured Itachi probably didn't want her in that way anyways…

_Still…_

She timidly followed him into his room and he closed the door behind them, He turned to face her.

"W-w-what?" she stammered; he was staring at her.

"Where would you like to examine my eyes?" he asked plainly.

Sakura felt herself blush slightly. She had nearly forgotten that was the reason for coming to his room in the first place.

"Er…" She looked around. The bed looked like the only place where they could both sit —

_No WAY!_ She thought.

_**Aw, why **_**not?** Protested Inner Sakura. _**You know, he's such a hottie!**_

Sakura blushed deeper. _He's a _terrorist_! He _killed_ his family and scarred Sasuke for life!_

_**And I bet he looked damn sexy doing it!**_

Inner

Sakura furiously turned to Itachi, who was eyeing her with a slight, nearly undetectable look that said, _"Okay…"_

_Great. Now he thinks I'm a weirdo._

She sighed. "Um…how about we sit on the floor…?" she suggested.

Wordlessly, Itachi sat down. Sakura sat across from him.

"Um…Itachi?"

He looked at her.

"I…uh, need you to…undo your Sharingan."

He closed his eyes and a moment later, opened them. Black eyes, so similar to his brother's gazed back at her.

_Oh my God,_ Sakura gasped in her mind. _He looks like Sasuke!_

_**Though much hotter and sexier, I must say,**_ remarked Inner Sakura.

"What are you staring at?" Itachi asked her. It was hard to tell, but he seemed mildly irritated.

Sakura blinked. "Er — nothing. You…just — um — look like your…brother, that's all."

"I take it you know him well."

"We —" Momentarily, her voice faltered. A lump had come to her throat. She cleared it and continued, "We were teammates as Genin."

"Anything…more?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I don't know," she muttered, but her blush gave it all away.

"Did you go out?"

"Why are you so interested in Sasuke's _love life_?!"

"No reason," he replied evenly, his face betraying nothing.

Sakura sighed again. "Well…I — uh — guess you want me to…check your eyes, huh?"

"I didn't call you here to socialize."

She rolled her eyes and told him, "You can close your eyes if you want."

Obediently, he shut them.

She tentatively placed her hands over his eyes and closed her own as well. She sent chakra out, trying to find what was wrong.

Then — she saw it.

Itachi's eyes were taking on more strain than he let on. If he went on the way he was…

"Itachi," said Sakura softly, her eyes still closed. "You're gonna go completely blind within the next month or so."

He was silent, but she knew he was frustrated and angry with himself.

She continued looking around and examining.

Finally, she lowered her hands. She opened her eyes and told the elder Uchiha he could do the same.

He looked at her, though she knew he could hardly see her.

Sakura exhaled. _I guess I should tell him the rest of the news,_ she thought._ Though he's not gonna like it…_

"Well, Itachi…using that special Sharingan's been putting a lot of strain on your eyes and that's why…you — er — are going…blind."

"And what of the regular Sharingan?"

"Well…that's been adding a little, but…the…er, special one is really ruining your eyesight."

There was a pause.

"But…I think I can heal you, though it'll take a hell of a lot of chakra — I don't even know if I'll be able to do it and live."

"If I gave you some chakra could you heal me now?"

Sakura swallowed. "I… I could _try_, but you might not be able to see for a week or so after, you know, so they can fully heal. And I also want to find a way to make it so the Sharingan — any Sharingan — doesn't put any strain on your eyes…so you won't have this…_problem_ again."

_All this trouble for an Akatsuki member,_ she thought, half-ashamed at herself for everything she was planning to do to help him. _Especially since said member's Itachi Uchiha!_

"The healing process cannot be made shorter?"

Sakura considered it. "If you lent me a bit more chakra…I might be able to just make it an overnight healing process…"

"Very well."

_He's much more agreeable than Sasuke, _Sakura thought, as she told him to close his eyes again and to put his hand on top of hers (which she placed over his eyes again). She then instructed him to send some of his chakra into her hands so she could begin healing. _He must really be upset about going blind…though I don't blame him…

* * *

_

Sakura knew that healing Itachi's eyes would be a lengthy process, but when she had finally finished healing and preventing the blindness from returning, she found herself so stiff she could hardly move.

Painfully, she lowered her hands and opened her eyes. Though the room was dimly lit, the light temporarily blinded her.

"Itachi…" her voice came out in a croak. "I'm done"

She was about to say more when fatigue overcame her and fell to the floor. Her eyelids drooped as she let sleep overcome her. But before she drifted off, warm breath tickled her ear as a quiet, familiar voice murmured, "Thank you."

A/N: Flashbacks of Sasuke, anyone? Right before he leaves Konoha and Sakura tries to stop him?

Then all went black.

* * *

He could _see_. He did not need the Sharingan anymore to help him see ordinary things — he, Itachi Uchiha, could actually see again.

He looked at the clock (that he could now see clearly without the Sharingan) and was surprised to see it read midnight.

_We sat there for five hours,_ he realized.

Itachi looked down at Sakura; she was sleeping peacefully on the floor of his room. He picked her up, lightly surprised at how little she weighed, and quietly carried her across the hall to her bedroom. He put her into bed and stared at her for a few minutes.

She was undeniably pretty, and although her taijutsu was not very strong, he was impressed by her healing abilities. And her control over chakra was amazing, he had to admit…

Sakura rolled over slightly and her hand happened to brush against his.

Itachi blinked. Slowly, he sat down at the edge of her bed and began brushing her hair away from her face with his hand. Her hair was a strange color; he had never seen anyone with hair like hers before, but he liked it. It suited her, it matched her name; her hair was the precise color of cherry blossoms…

It was a shame, really, that she had met Sasuke first. Sakura's perceptions of the Uchiha clan — or what was left of it — were probably not very accurate. She most likely thought that they were annoying, whiny, emo crybabies.

Again, Itachi wondered how Sakura felt about his foolish little brother…and how she felt towards him…

He looked down and noticed that he was stroking her hair. He felt his cheeks turn red and he hastily stood up and left.

* * *

"_Will Sakura-san be okay?"_

"_Shut _up_! You asked that a million times already!"_

"_But — but Tobi is worried!"_

_"Well, it's annoying, so just shut the hell up!" _

_"But —" _

_"SHUT THE FUCK UP, ALL OF YOU!" _

Sakura stirred. She wanted to tell the voices to shut up already, but she was _so_ tired…

…She opened her eyes. All the Akatsuki members were in her rrom, some sting, some standing, all clearly waiting for her to wake up.

"Um…why are all you guys here?" she asked, sitting up.

"Sakura-san!" cried Tobi and hugged her tightly. "Tobi was so worried!"

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "I wasn't going to die, Tobi…I just…used up a lot of chakra."

Deidara moved next to her. "Is it true you were in Itachi's room when you passed out, yeah?"

Her eyes narrowed. "It's not what you think."

"So the rumor's true, un!"

She rolled her eyes.

Eventually, one by one, the Akatsuki members left. Soon, Itachi was the only one left with Sakura.

"I…I want to properly thank you, Sakura, for…healing my eyes," he said.

**_The world has come to a stop. An Uchiha is actually _acknowledging_ us! _**

"Oh! Um…it was nothing…"

Itachi raised his eyebrows. "You have been unconscious for five days."

Sakura laughed weakly. "Okay…it wasn't _nothing_, but…well…I'm glad I could help.

_What did I just say?! _

Itachi seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her.

"I killed nearly my entire family — your former teammate's family — and I could kill you. And yet you are glad you could heal my eyes?"

She leaned closer to him. "Between you and me, Itachi, no offense, but Sasuke's an ass. He didn't notice m — uh, I mean…the _village_ — you know, he thought nothing — or no one — mattered to him 'cuz he's an _avenger_.

"As for killing your family…I never understood why you did that, and I personally don't agree…but even though you committed that terrible crime and then betrayed the village…my job is to heal people. I don't care if they're terrorists or not, if someone's…injured, I heal them."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "But I don't think you're such a bad guy, Itachi, even after everything you've done. Actually…as long as you're not threatening me, you're actually a pretty decent guy."

She could have sworn he blushed.

**_Score!_** Inner Sakura cried.**_ We made an Uchiha blush!_**

Sakura tried to get out of bed, but suddenly, her head began spinning violently, and she almost fell to the ground but Itachi grabbed onto her shoulders.

"Sakura," he said, staring into her eyes. His face was _very_ close to hers…was that _concern_ on his face?!

"Sorry…I'm just…dizzy from the lack of chakra."

She put her hands to her temples, trying to stop the spinning in her head. Meanwhile, Inner Sakura was squealing in delight about how good the elder Uchiha smelled.

"You should rest," he told her.

Sakura sighed and lay back down, knowing he was right.

Itachi leaned over her. "Leader wants me to train you," he added.

"When does the training start?" she wondered, beginning to worry; Itachi could _kill_ her in a million different ways in a fight!

"As soon as you…recover."

There was a pause.

"So…what are you gonna train me in?"

"Taijutsu, obviously, as well as some ninjutsu…and I might throw in some genjutsu."

Her blood ran cold. Itachi was a master of genjutsu.

He must have noticed her fear for he told her, "I will not kill you, Sakura. You are a member of Akatsuki and are too valuable to be killed."

"T-too _valuable_?" she stuttered and looked into his onyx black orbs, her own eyes wide.

"A blossom as…beautiful as you should not go to waste," he told her, his voice barely louder than a murmur. He ran his fingers though her hair, while bringing her head close to his simultaneously. Gently — softly than Sakura thought possible for an Uchiha — he pressed his lips to hers.

Inner Sakura might have had a heart attack.**_ He's kissing us!_** She yelled. **_An Uchiha's _kissing_ us! Our first kiss is from a damn sexy Uchiha! _**

And he was a good kisser, too.

Shyly, Sakura put her arms around his neck and tenderly kissed him back. But just as she was about to push him to go further, he pulled back.

For a moment, Itachi just gazed into her eyes, still holding her. His breathing was slightly heavier than usual.

"I…I will meet you outside of this room tomorrow morning at six o' clock," he informed her, and then moved away.

Sakura's hands fell to her sides.

Itachi gazed at her intensely for a few moments longer, and then he turned away and walked out the door.

* * *

Okay...that was a lot longer than usual; I'll probably make the other chappies shorter...

So...tell me what you thought! Ja ne!


	5. Chapter 5: Several Months Later

**Disclaimer:** I (sadly) do not own Naruto or any characters in the aforementioned anime/manga. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto-san.

In case you forgot...

Ages: Sakura - 18; Itachi - 23, Kisame - 36, Tobi - not sure, probably around 18 let's say; Deidara - 21.

" " - talking

_Blah _- thinking

_**Blah**_ - Inner Sakura

* * *

A/N: Sorry everyone for the wait! I was really busy writing my novel (totally original stuff, not Naruto at all) and then I had writer's block for this fic. I also wrote a one-shot called "Rain" (also Naruto), which I will post once I get the chance — hopefully soon.

The good news is that I finished this fanfiction earlier today; I will try to get it up and posted as soon as possible.

Hope this made up for the wait!

* * *

Every morning since that day, Sakura was awake and dressed for training by six o'clock AM. Itachi ruthlessly forced her to train until she thought she would pass out. Physically, she became much stronger than she ever could have in Konoha; he also taught her many hand techniques and she was even learning to fool the Sharingan in battle. Every evening after dinner, she collapsed into bed, falling asleep instantaneously.

It was a tiring life, but Sakura appreciated Itachi's training. She did not feel like a burden anymore: she could defend herself against powerful enemies.

Itachi and Sakura, however, maintained a relationship of master and apprentice, and seemingly nothing more. The Uchiha made no mention of the kiss they had shared, and Sakura was wise enough not to bring it up.

For the most part, the other Akatsuki members left her alone. She assumed that being Itachi's student made the others ignore her — and maybe even respect her! — though she and Konan often spent quality "girl time" together.

Still, Sakura could not say she liked many Akatsuki members: Deidara and Tobi annoyed her, Zetsu scared her, and Pein was too pierced. Hidan swore too much, and Kakuzu…well, he was a money-obsessed bastard. And Kisame…he was a freaking shark!

Since the time Itachi had kissed her, Sakura had secretly been developing feelings towards him — stronger than simply teacher and student. At first, she thought she was just idolizing him, as apprentices would look up to their master. But then she realized the truth: she was in love with Itachi Uchiha!

_Oh God,_ she thought. _What am I going to do?_

Later, after dinner, Sakura stumbled into her room. The meal had been absolute torture to her. She could hardly look Itachi in the face, for fear of blushing as red as a tomato. Worse, Sakura had a feeling he knew how she felt about him; she could feel his eyes upon her for the entire meal.

She needed to clear her head. Being in love with an S-classed criminal was dangerous — especially one who had killed his (and Sasuke's) entire family in one night. And knowing Itachi, he could cunningly use her affection for him to his advantage and potentially manipulate her.

A sharp knock on the door startled her.

Sakura stood up. _Please don't let it be Itachi,_ she thought and opened the door.

_Shit._

"Come with me," Itachi requested softly.

_**Ooh, I do like the sound of this…**_

_Shut it, Inner!_ Thought Sakura to her inner self. _This is serious! What if he wants to _do_ something to me…?_

Warily, she followed him out of her room. To her relief, he was not leading her to his room; they headed down the hall, and Sakura noticed they were going the same way as she had gone when she had tried to escape the base.

_Where is he taking me?_ She wondered.

Itachi led her outside and into a forest.

"Itachi…what's going on?" she asked him.

He moved close to her. "Sakura." His voice was barely louder than a murmur. "I wanted to — talk."

Inner Sakura burst into laughter. _**Mr. anti-social wants to talk?! That's **_**hilarious**_**!**_

They sat down.

"Sakura, what do you think of my brother?"

_Oh, no. Why'd he have to bring up _Sasuke_?_ She groaned.

"Wh-what do you mean…?"

"What was your relationship with him?"

"Not this again!"

When Itachi did not respond she went on, "If you really want to know, Itachi, I — as well as practically every girl in the class at the Academy — had a _huge_ crush on him." She had decided to tell him the truth…to see his reaction.

He froze for a few moments and then blinked several times. "Is that so?" he asked, and unless Sakura was mistaken, there was an upset tone in his voice.

"But I gave up on him when he betrayed Konoha six years ago," Sakura added, and almost laughed when Itachi's face lit up very slightly. "That son of a bitch left on a freaking _bench_!"

Itachi cocked an eyebrow. "Firstly, you had sex with Sasuke? Second…that's my mother you are insulting."

"You killed her."

"Yes, but nonetheless, you are insulting her."

_Okay…_ "And _no_, I did not have _sex_ with that _bastard_! I tried to stop him from joining that pedophile, Orochimaru, but…"

She shook her head.

"Sasuke knocked me out and _left_ me after I told him everything!" All of her bitter feelings towards the younger Uchiha came pouring out, uncontrollably. "I told him I loved him more than anything, and what does he day? Oh, _thank you_. That's it! No, _I love you, too, Sakura_, just _thank you_! And what does he do? Knocks me out, leaves me on a bench, and betrays the village! I've learned not to get too attached to damn Uchihas after that. You can only rely on them for a few things: being so smart they think they're so much better than anyone, being too damn sexy for their own good, and being so fucking emotionless, I hate them!"

Itachi leaned towards her. "Do you really hate us?" he murmured in her ear. His breath tickled her neck…and his voice was _so_ sexy! "After all, I believe you enjoyed that kiss we shared a few months ago, did you not?"

Sakura nodded, powerless against his charm.

"And perhaps you might like me to kiss you again…?"

Again, she nodded, unable to resist.

_Damn, why does he do this to me?_

_**Shut up! We're about to make out with Itachi again!**_

Itachi leaned in closer and put one hand at her back, the other at the base of her neck. With his lips only centimeters away from hers he murmured, "Tell me how you feel about me, Sakura."

She put her hands nervously on his shoulders. Sakura looked up into the onyx black eyes of Itachi Uchiha…

"I…I love you," she admitted softly.

She felt his hold on her tighten slightly, possessively, almost holding her close to him as if to say "She's mine."

Sakura knew it was dangerous to be in love with an Uchiha; her experience with Sasuke had taught her that much. However, after six months, training under Itachi, she had begun to learn that the elder Uchiha was as unlike his younger brother as he could get: Where Sasuke had completely ignored her, called her weak, and had been rude when she tried to speak to him, Itachi was — well, Sakura could not call him a better person than Sasuke, considering all Itachi had done, but the elder brother was much more polite, and did not seem to consider her worthless.

"You are a very special woman…Sakura," he breathed. "Many would have been unable to endure the training I put you through."

_He thinks I'm strong,_ she thought excitedly.

_**Damn right! Take **_**that**_**, Sasuke!**_ Inner Sakura yelled.

Her grip on him tightened and she smiled. "Thanks, Itachi."

Itachi softly kissed her.

How was it that a ruthless murderer could make her feel safe, secure, and _loved_, even? How was it that the very man who had caused his own brother so much pain, could make her feel…Words could not describe the way she felt about Itachi Uchiha.

He pulled away, and she pressed her face against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and held him as if her very existence depended on him.

_**That's a bit dangerous, isn't it?**_ Inner Sakura commented thoughtfully. _**Putting your life— and heart — in the hands of an Uchiha…particularly the one who single-handedly —**_

— _Can it, Inner, _Sakura interrupted.

"Now, Sakura…"

Sakura's breath caught in her throat at the sound of his voice. She turned her head upward to gaze at Itachi, who was wearing an amused expression.

"What was this about me being very smart and…sexy?"

Sakura felt herself blush. "W-w-well…" she stuttered. "It's true…"

Itachi smiled, a softer expression coming over his features. He moved his head closer to Sakura and whispered a word of thanks before kissing her again.

His lips were warm against hers, and Sakura softly responded, but almost immediately after, he rapidly deepened the kiss. It was almost as if he was a starving man who had at last found a meal. Itachi hungrily entered her mouth, and his tongue began exploring it.

_Oh my God…_

Rain began to pour down in heavy droplets.

Itachi and Sakura broke apart, both breathing heavily.

"Th-that was amazing," Sakura panted. "Itachi…where did you — um — learn how to…_kiss_ like that?"

Itachi led her back to the Akatsuki base. Once inside, he told her quietly, "I haven't only used the Sharingan for battle." He smirked.

Sakura giggled.

"Itachi…where were you?"

Sakura spun around to see Kisame approaching them. Turning back to Itachi, she saw him narrow his eyes. His expression clearly read _If you don't shut up, you die._

Kisame's eyes raked Sakura up and down and she had to repress the urge to shiver.

"Kisame. What do you want?"

"Leader-sama wants to send us on a mission."

Itachi frowned. "I'll speak to him now," he told Kisame, but when he passed Sakura, he added in a low voice, "We'll continue later."

* * *

I'll try to get the next chapter up (or maybe the rest of the fic!!) by some time next week...

Ja ne!


	6. Chapter 6: Mission

**Disclaimer:** I (sadly) do not own Naruto or any characters in the aforementioned anime/manga. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto-san.

A/N: I apologize for any OOC-ness in this chapter. To tell you the truth, I have no idea whatsoever how Itachi would react to the given situations, so I tried my best with my limited knowledge of his personality. I hope I captured his character as best as I can.

Now, **THERE IS A BIT OF A LEMON IN THIS CHAPTER**. You have been warned.

Also: Thank you so much to everyone for reviewing. (I would reply to you all personally, but I'm really busy. You know who you are, and I thank you all!) Since this is my first published work, it really means a lot to me. Arigato!

* * *

Recap:

_"Kisame. What do you want?"_

_"Leader-sama wants to send us on a mission."_

_Itachi frowned. "I'll speak to him now," he told Kisame, but when he passed Sakura, he added in a low voice, "We'll continue later."_

* * *

"So, Itachi, what was that about?" Kisame asked once he and Itachi had gone out of earshot of Sakura.

Itachi raised a dark eyebrow. "Jealous, Kisame?"

A dark tinge appeared on the shark-man's cheeks. "Well…she's a pretty hot babe."

Itachi said nothing until they had found Pein, who told them they would be leaving on a mission to the Sound Village tomorrow afternoon.

_Sasuke._

Apparently Pein was thinking along the same lines as Itachi, as he added, "Itachi, I forbid you from fighting with your brother. Your mission is to infiltrate the village and learn as much as you can about Orochimaru without revealing your identities. I expect a report in a week."

"Understood," Itachi and Kisame replied in unison, and left to pack.

Itachi went straight to Sakura's room. He knocked lightly on her door, and she opened it.

"What was that about?" she asked him.

Itachi entered the room and closed the door before telling her about the mission.

He expected her to get emotional about the location of the assignment, but surprisingly, Sakura remained cool and calm.

"How long will you be gone for?"

"No more than a week."

She nodded. "Well, if you happen to see Sasuke, tell him I think he's a fucking bastard and his hair looks like a chicken's ass."

He knew his little brother would come up some time in conversation; it was only a matter of time. "If I have the opportunity, I'll pass along the message," he answered with a faint smile. _And if Leader had not forbidden me to fight, I would make you regret your actions to Sakura, _he added in his thoughts. _Foolish little brother._

"I have to pack," he told her. Not wanting to cut their meeting short, however, he added, "You can join me if you are so inclined."

Sakura smiled as he led her across the hall and they entered his room.

For a while, they packed, together, in silence. Occasionally, their arms brushed against each other's, but with Itachi and Sakura were past the stage of simply blushing; their relationship had gone way beyond a simple "crush".

"Okay…I guess we're done," Sakura finally said, as she closed his pack. Glancing at the clock, she went on, "You should probably get your rest, Itachi."

"I do not leave until tomorrow afternoon."

"Well…you should still sleep — trust me, Itachi, I'm a medic."

There was a long pause.

"Um…I guess I'll go —"

"— I have the impression you want to stay here with me…for the night," Itachi said slowly.

Sakura blushed, though she did not deny it.

"You are very welcome to," he informed her, taking off his cloak, "if you are so inclined."

Sakura smiled seductively. She stroked Itachi's chest and purred, almost in a threatening way, "Get in the bed, Itachi."

"You're coming with me."

Itachi pulled her, and the two of them tumbled onto his bed.

Sakura wasted no time in getting her hands all over him, and she began kissing every inch in sight. Itachi had never seen her like this — so passionate and _sexy_ (but he wasn't complaining).

But as alluring as he found this change in behavior, _he_ was Itachi Uchiha. He had become accustomed to being the best, the strongest, in nearly everything he did. And even now, he could not let Sakura be in control.

He smirked. It was time to take charge.

Itachi leaned forward and with superior ninja speed, unzipped Sakura's dress. A few seconds later, he had thrown off his shirt and pants, and he sat before her in only his underwear.

He caressed her cheek with one hand, pulling the dress slowly off with the other.

Sakur looked too stunned to speak, and Itachi moved closer so he could begin kissing her neck. He pulled off her shorts, and when she began to protest, he sucked and bit her neck.

She moaned softly.

He leaned over her and with expertise, stroked and caressed her in places he knew she was not accustomed to be touched in.

Sakura lay on her back, and Itachi, lust building for her, became more and more passionate.

And though he tried to be gentle with her, as it was her first time, Itachi finally could not control himself. He flung off the remaining undergarments that they had on, and made passionate love to her.

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes. She felt sore all over, including in certain area she had never felt pain in before.

_I — I…I'm not a virgin,_ she realized, recalling the events that had occurred the previous night. _He popped my cherry._

Sakura smiled at the similarity between the phrase and the meaning of her name.

She sat up, noticing that she was naked in Itachi's bed — but Itachi was gone.

_**Son of a bitch!**_ Yelled Inner Sakura. _**If he thinks he can take what he wants and then just walk away…I'll kick his ass!**_

Sakura quickly dressed herself and turned on the lights.

_Hey… what's that?_

A piece of paper was lying on the left pillow — where Itachi had slept…

_  
Sakura —_

_I am leaving on my mission and I did not want to disturb you; you look so beautiful when you sleep (not that you don't otherwise)._

_As you know, I will be away for, at most, a week, and I will be thinking about you every single one of the days I am away._

_I understand that you think of Uchihas as cold and emotionless, but I want you to know that I love you, Sakura, even if I may not display my feelings as freely as you are accustomed to others doing. You mean more to me than anything, if it were my choice, I would not leave you for a minute. Seeing as I cannot change what is ordered of me, however, I must depart. I am sorry._

_Itachi._

Sakura pocketed the note, and went back to her room to take a shower and make herself more presentable. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself in case other members were around before she went to eat lunch.

_Great,_ she thought as she approached the table. Nearly all of the Akatsuki was there, save for Itachi and Kisame. She was _not_ in the mood to deal with people, even Konan, with whom she had established a friendship.

Aware that several pairs of eyes were upon her, Sakura kept her head down. But she could hardly manage a few bites before she burst into tears.

It had been _years_ since she had cried like this in front of others; she had always tried to be strong for Sasuke's sake. But thinking of Sasuke made her think of Itachi, which made it impossible for her to control the flow of tears.

The section of the Akatsuki that was seated at the table had no idea what to do with her. For several minutes, they sat there, stunned; it had probably been _year_ since _they_ had last cried.

Konan was the first to recover. She sat next to Sakura and tentatively put her hand on the sobbing girl's shoulder.

"Um…Sakura? What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"Konan. What are you doing?" Pein inquired.

"I'm comforting the poor girl. And it would be nice if some of you guys helped," Konan added in a semi-threatening tone.

"Why the fuck should we do _that_?" demanded Hidan.

"Oh, fuck off for once in your life," retorted Konan, startling everyone, including Sakura, by her choice of language.

"So…what's up?" she went on, and put a comforting arm around Sakura.

The pink-haired girl wiped her eyes and shook her head.

"Is it a girl-thing?"

Sakura gave a half-nod, half-shrug.

"Okay, get out of here guys…Pein?"

Sakura heard Pein sigh, and the Leader ordered everyone. When Sakura looked up, she and Konan were alone at the table. The blue-haired woman placed a large mug of tea in front of Sakura.

"I thought it might make you feel better," Konan told her with a shrug.

Sakura gave a watery smile. "Thanks." She took a sip of the sweet tea, and she felt much better.

She calmed herself again and then told Konan in a whisper, "I miss Itachi."

The blue-haired woman glanced at her. "Is that what…?"

"Sort of."

Sakura found herself telling Konan how she had been feeling about Itachi — though she mentioned the previous night's events _very_ briefly. She went on to describe the note, as well as the fact that she wondered — and worries — if he had only used her to satisfy his lust.

"And now I feel really bad for suspecting him of anything, but…I'm so confused!" she finished.

Konan touched Sakura's arm lightly; Sakura realized her fists were clenched and she was shaking.

She tried to relax as she listened to the other woman's thoughts.

"If Itachi said something like _that_…I don't think he would be lying. Even if he _was_ using you…he wouldn't have described his feelings in such a way," Konan told her. "I don't know him too well, but from what Pein says, he's _very_ loyal. I really think he loves you, Sakura — why else would he leave you a note like that? Can I…see it?"

Sakura pulled out the letter and put it on the table.

Konan read it, and Sakura noticed her eyes teared very briefly.

"That is really sweet…Sakura, this is _definitely_ proof that he loves you. Even though he's a good liar, he wouldn't lie about this."

"What makes you say that?"

Konan gave Sakura a wry smile and replied, "Pein gave me one like that when he left on a mission years ago…I married him after that, and he's been faithful ever since."

Was Konan right? She was older and more experienced, after all…

Sakura forced a smile. "Thanks, Konan," she said, and hugged the other female Akatsuki member. Then, taking the note with her, she returned to her room.

* * *

"So…what was that about?" Pein wondered after closing the door to his and Konan's bedroom.

"Sakura and Itachi have gotten…close within the past months, and his absence is taking a toll on her."

"Define close."

Konan glanced at her husband. "That's between the two of them. But…I think they really love each other."

"Shit."

"Pein, what's wrong?"

"If this _relationship_ ends badly…I am _not_ having my organization messed up."

Konan sighed and put her arms around him. "Always the pessimist," she murmured in his ear, running her fingers through his spiky orange hair.

"Realist," he corrected her. "And I won't have my medic or one of the strongest members emotionally wrecked due to…romance issues."

Konan laughed at the chosen words, but at his scowl, she stopped. "Pein, I don't think it'll turn out badly."

"What gives you that idea?"

Konan stepped back and surveyed the pierced man carefully. "Do you remember the letter you left me before you went on that mission to the Grass Village?"

"I told you I loved you for the first time," he said quietly.

She nodded. "Itachi left her a letter like that one."

There was a long pause, during which Konan knew Pein was thinking.

"I hope you're right, Konan," he told her a few minutes later. "Not only for their sake…but of this entire organization's."

Wow, that was pretty long...

Almost done...! Ja ne!

-animerandomizrXIV


	7. Chapter 7: One Long Week

**Disclaimer:** I don't own "_When You're Gone_" by Avril Lavigne. As well, I apologize for the cheesy musical interlude; I was listening to the song when I wrote this chapter, and I really thought it fit (and it's a good song).

I don't really know how Pein and Konan would act given the following events, so I tried to stick to what I know about their characters (which is not much). I should probably make Pein lay off the death threats, though…

Also, I apologize for making Sakura lapse into her old pathetic self, but I had to for this to work…

Now, to the last chapter... (!!)

* * *

Sakura had never known seven days to pass so slowly.

Every day her schedule was the same as always (wake up, eat, train, eat, rest, eat, sleep), yet nothing she did to pass the time made it go by any quicker.

She had taken to listening to lonely songs about missing lovers and the like. For some strange reason, Akatsuki had Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync CDs lying around…

But one song hit her the most, rightly named "When You're Gone":

_I always needed time on my own  
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry  
And the days feel like years when I'm alone  
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side_

Sakura sniffed, and began to sing along to Avril Lavigne,

_When you walk away I count the steps that you take  
Do you see how much I need you right now_

_When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok  
I miss you_

Sakura sang the rest of the song with every feeling she had for Itachi Uchiha. By the time the song had finished, se was in tears and could hardly speak.

Only when she heard someone clear his throat did she realize Deidara, Pein, Konan, and Tobi were staring at her from the doorframe. But Sakura was too depressed to be embarrassed.

"If you're going to be like this every time I send Itachi on a mission, Sakura, I will have to kill you," Pein told her in no joking manner whatsoever.

Sakura gave a hiccupping gasp, but stopped her tears.

Pein glanced at her momentarily before turning on his heel and walking away.

Deidara glanced at Konan before going over to sit with Sakura.

"You're upset about Itachi, un?" he inquired.

Her gaze met his and she slapped him.

His expression turned from one of concern to one of anger.

"SHIT! Dammit, Sakura, what the hell was that for, un?!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Get out of my room, Deidara," she ordered through clenched teeth.

Deidara scowled.

"Deidara."

Unable to disobey Leader-sama's wife, Deidara got to his feet and left, dragging Tobi with him (after which he threw the masked boy into a wall).

Sakura looked up. "Konan…leave."

The other woman looked startled but nodded and left.

When the door shut, Sakura burst into fresh tears. _What am I turning into?_ She wondered._ I'm acting so mean to everyone who's trying to help me…and I'm crying all the time just like with Sasuke…_

* * *

The days passed, though as expressed by Avril Lavigne, they felt more like years.

The atmosphere was tense; Pein was on his last nerve, and due to this, it had rained a dangerous amount outside the base since Itachi and Kisame had left. Everyone in Akatsuki knew about Sakura's feelings towards Itachi, and all of them sincerely hoped the Uchiha would return — otherwise, they feared something drastic would happen. Sakura had already been found cutting her wrists, and Pein had ordered at least one member to check on her every hour.

Konan worried about her husband. She knew he always took on stressful jobs like ordering the members to find the tailed beasts, but never, in her years of knowing him, had he ever been this stressed.

One morning she woke to find him sitting on the side of the bed with his face in his hands. His fingers gripped his hair.

Konan slipped her arms around his body, and leaned against his bare back.

Pein stiffened, but when he realized it was her, he relaxed — but only slightly.

"Konan, how many times have I told this organization that they're to keep their romances separate from their work?" His voice was level, but Konan could sense the controlled anger building inside of him.

"They didn't know it would be…to this extent…"

Pein turned around, and Konan's arms fell to her sides.

"I don't care. But I've just sent a message to Itachi and he informed me they will be returning tomorrow."

Konan breathed a sigh of relief. "So why are you so tense?" she inquired.

"That girl is going to kill herself."

Konan's eyes widened.

"Her feelings are too strong," Pein explained. "If she can't be with him, she would rather die."

"Have you been reading Romeo & Juliet?" Konan smiled.

"It was on TV last night." Pein paused. "In any case, I've told Itachi if he does not deal with this issue, I'll kill both of them."

"At least they'll be together," Konan muttered.

Pein ignored the comment. "This is why shinobi should be emotionless — if they allow feelings to get in the way of their work, they will end up being the cause of their own death. And this is why Itachi is so talented at his work. He does not display emotions, and he probably suppresses them inside as well."

Konan nodded. "And this is why you became Pein instead of…" She broke off.

Pein frowned at the mention of his past, but agreed with her. "Yes. And you know what I have achieved due to that."

Konan sighed. Hang in there, Sakura, she thought.

As usual, Sakura woke up, ate a quick breakfast, and then went to train, but found she had no strength.

_Itachi is my strength._

She sank to her knees, but she could not cry; there were no tears left in her to shed.

**_Girl, you so gotta work out your man issues._**

Sakura rubbed her eyes._ What do you mean, Inner?_

**_Exactly what I said. You're always getting so attached to guys, it's almost stalkerish! Just back off a bit; there are other things in life besides Itachi…though he's damn fine…_**

_Like what?_

**_Clothes and shoes!_**

That was it! If she did something she really enjoyed, she could take her mind off Itachi!

Nervously, she approached Pein and asked permission to go shopping.

"Why?" he demanded.

Sakura shrugged. "To take my mind off…things…" she replied vaguely.

Pein understood immediately. "Go. And Konan?"

"Yes, Pein?"

"Go with her," he commanded, adding so quietly so Sakura barely heard, "Make her happy or I'll kill the next person I see."

Konan smiled and kissed him lightly before departing with Sakura.

* * *

Inner Sakura had been right.

**_As always._**

The shopping trip not only distracted Sakura, but when she and Konan returned to the base (arms laden with shopping bags), her spirits had brightened tremendously. And surprisingly, she did not even notice the dark-haired man until he called her name.

Sakura spun around at the sound of the voice.

Her shopping bags fell.

"_ITACHI_!"

She ran towards him and embraced him tightly.

"Don't I get a warm welcome too?" asked Kisame.

No one responded A/N: Aw…poor Kisame-kun!

"Come with me to my room," Itachi murmured in her ear.

Mutely, she obeyed.

Itachi closed the door behind them and glanced at her.

"Leader-sama told me what happened while I was away," he said. "I…wasn't aware how strongly you felt about me." As he said this, he put his hand inside a pocket in his Akatsuki cloak.

Sakura sighed. "I don't know what happened…I guess…everything I felt — that night — and then the sudden shock of you gone, and me missing you…I guess it was just too much for me to handle." She sighed again, fearing she would get a similar reaction to the one Sasuke always had given her. "I understand if you think I'm too weak to be worth your notice."

Itachi touched her face. "You are confusing me with my brother. And in any case…" He bent down, and pulled a small box out from the pocket he had his hand in. He opened it, and Sakura caught sight of something glimmering.

_Oh…my…God…_

**_Who's the best Inner in the world?_**

"Sakura Haruno…will you marry me?"

Sakura squealed. "Yes!"

Itachi smiled and put the ring on her finger.

* * *

FIN

**Final Author's note for ACB** (that's Akatsuki's Cherry Blossom, if you're wondering): Well, this is the end! Yay! It's been fun, and once again, thank you to everyone who's reviewed!

Also, I just finished the sequel-ish (it takes place after this, but is not Sakura-centric and hardly has to do with ACB's storyline), called Akatsuki's Little Lily (hopefully I can post that soon). Look out for it!

Ja ne!


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